Cincinnati’s Best Known Vessels



One of my favorite Rookwood artists
was Sara Sax. Rookwood artists tended
to develop specialties. One of hers was

the use of a particular bright red glaze.
I was inspired by a vase she made in 1922

to make my own version using my 

Straight Stitch Painting technique. I call

mine Summer Bouquet. 

If you have lived in this town for any length of time, you have no doubt heard of Rookwood Pottery. Your grandparents probably received at least one piece as a wedding present. Many public buildings -- especially schools -- had Rookwood drinking fountains.

Rookwood Pottery was founded in 1880 by Maria Longworth Nichols. Maria was part of the very wealthy Longworth family of Cincinnati. After admiring Japanese ceramics at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876, Maria decided to open her own pottery. Luckily she had a lot of money and the area had a lot of clay. Cincinnati was already a center for commercial potteries. The School of Design of the University of Cincinnati provided her with trained artists. Her vision was to produce pottery individually decorated by artists. While her vision did come true, Rookwood was somewhat forced to have what became known as Standard Ware to help pay the bills.

Rookwood had ups and downs for many years. The Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889 earned Rookwood several gold medals. This triumph ensured the pottery’s financial profitability. Rookwood attracted the most talented decorators in the business. Things went well until the 1930s depression from which they never fully recovered.  Sadly in the 1960’s Rookwood closed its doors. In 2004 Dr. Art Townley who had purchased the company’s assets, including molds, glaze formulas, and trademarks found a group of investors willing to restore and return the manufacture of Rookwood Pottery to Cincinnati. Today the kilns turn out art tile, art pottery, corporate gifts and special commissions.

So the next time you are at grandmas take a peek at the bottom of her nick knacks. Who knows you may find a genuine piece of Rookwood. If you don’t find any in your family china cabinet go to the Cincinnati Art Museum and admire their extensive collection.

For more information, these two sources might be of interest.

--About Rookwood. This is on the contemporary Rookwood Pottery web site.

--How to Identify Rookwood Pottery. An article by B. Ellen Vonstenburg.

--Lynn Conaway